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. 2023 Jul 13;10(8):003980.
doi: 10.12890/2023_003980. eCollection 2023.

First Case of Meningoencephalitis and Bacteraemia with Flavobacterium Lindanitolerans

Rebecca Zurbuchen  1 , Mirjam de Roche  1 , Aikaterini Galimanis  1 , Kerstin Narr  2 , Olivier Dubuis  2 , Christiane Resch  1 , Mairi Ziaka  1
Affiliations

First Case of Meningoencephalitis and Bacteraemia with Flavobacterium Lindanitolerans

Rebecca Zurbuchen et al. Eur J Case Rep Intern Med. .

Abstract

Purpose: Flavobacterium lindanitolerans is an environmental Gram-negative, non-spore-forming rod which is usually not considered to be a human pathogen. Isolation from human clinical samples has been described only once. We report the first case of meningoencephalitis and bacteraemia with Flavobacterium lindanitolerans.

Case description: A 76-year-old female presented with fever, headache, alteration of mental status, marked meningism and dysarthria. A lumbar puncture demonstrated cerebrospinal fluid findings consistent with bacterial meningitis, and a broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy was initiated. Blood and cerebrospinal fluid cultures revealed a growth of Flavobacterium lindanitolerans. Based on antimicrobial susceptibilities testing, antibiotic treatment was changed to levofloxacin, resulting in a remission of the clinical symptoms after 21 days of treatment.

Conclusion: Flavobacterium species are extremely rare human pathogens. However, some of them have been reported to cause opportunistic infections. We describe the first case of meningoencephalitis and bacteraemia caused by Flavobacterium lindanitolerans which was effectively treated with levofloxacin for 21 days.

Learning points: This is the first case of a meningoencephalitis and bacteraemia with Flavobacterium lindanitolerans.Levofloxacin can be given for 21 days as a treatment of F. lindanitolerans.

Keywords: Flavobacterium lindanitolerans; Gram-negative bacteria; Gram-negative meningitis; bacterial meningitis; cerebral infection; meningoencephalitis.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interests: The Authors declare that there are no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flavobacterium lindanitolerans in the light microscopy on a Gram preparation
Figure 2
Figure 2
Flavobacterium lindanitolerans growth on Columbia blood agar after 42 hours
Figure 3
Figure 3
Flavobacterium lindanitolerans growth on chocolate agar after 48 hours
Figure 4
Figure 4
Cranial MRI DWI (A) and T2 (B) – sequences showing hyperintensities and fluid level in the ventricular system, compatible with pus formation (red arrow)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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